Dartford chemical spill warrants hazardous spill team deployment

A chemical spill in Dartford led to a hazardous area response team being deployed last Friday.

Fire crews from three different stations were called to a chemical spill in Dartford last Friday the 10th of June. The spill happened at Crossways Business Park at around 7:45am when a vessel containing ammonia was spilt at the Yodel delivery depot.

The hazardous spill response team were called to the incident by the fire crews who initially attended the scene. In all 16 people were treated for injuries due to chemical vapour inhalation, with seven treated at The Darent Valley Hospital, five treated at the Princes Royal Hospital and five at the Medway Maritime Hospital.

Ammonia exposure can be particularly hazardous and can cause burns, skin irritation and even blindness, depending on the strength of the solution.

A spokesperson for the South East Coast Ambulance Service stated:

“Approximately 20 people have been checked and treated by SECAmb at the scene and a total of 16 people have been taken to hospital for further checks.”

A Yodel spokesperson commented:

“We are working closely with local fire crews to deal with an incident at our Dartford site.

“We take this matter very seriously and are doing everything we can to ensure the health and safety of our employees and local residents.”